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Learning to prove mathematical theorems is an important skill in mathematics. If you only learn to use what comes served on a silver platter, where will you lea
by lutorm 17y ago
Learning to prove mathematical theorems is an important skill in mathematics. If you only learn to use what comes served on a silver platter, where will you learn to handle situations where you haven't had the theorem taught to you in advance? My impression of UC undergraduate students is that "find the correct formula and plug in the numbers" is the only type of math they know how to do, and encouraging that doesn't seem like a way forward.
- curtis 17y ago> My impression of UC undergraduate students is that "find the correct formula and plug in the numbers" is the only type of math they know how to do, ... I believe that Mass has come to his position against Discovery Math precisely because his students at the University of Washington can't even do that.
- jff 17y agoIt is important to know how to prove theorems. However, I don't think the correct way to do it is to say "Here's some vague hints, now try to guess what we're talking about by playing with these blocks". The way I was taught, which I found pretty effective, was that we'd be given an theorem, then in some cases (not all, or we'd never get anywhere) prove that statement. When you hand over the theorem and then make the student prove it, he applies and synthesizes previous theorems to explain the new one.